System and method for measuring varying parameters using adaptive signal conditioning

ABSTRACT

A method includes receiving a signal associated with one or more sensors. The method also includes examining one or more parameters of a signal conditioning circuit to determine whether clipping of the signal has occurred. The method further includes, upon a determination that clipping of the signal has occurred, decreasing a gain of the signal conditioning circuit. In addition, the method includes, upon a determination that clipping of the signal has not occurred, determining whether a cut-off frequency of the signal conditioning circuit is within a range of a frequency response of an object measured by the one or more sensors. The method can further include changing the cut-off frequency of the signal conditioning circuit and increasing a resistance or a capacitance of the signal conditioning circuit.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to sensors for measuring parameters.More specifically, this disclosure relates to a system and method formeasuring varying parameters using an adaptive signal conditioningscheme.

BACKGROUND

Piezoelectric sensors are often used for flex, touch, vibration, andshock measurements. Such devices are particularly useful in applicationsthat demand high accuracy. However, some piezoelectric sensors may havecertain disadvantages. For example, some piezoelectric sensors aresuited only for particular applications or ranges of measurements. Insuch cases, replacement or modification of a piezoelectric sensor or thesensor's environment may be difficult or cost-prohibitive.

SUMMARY

This disclosure provides a system and method for measuring varyingparameters using an adaptive signal conditioning scheme.

In a first embodiment, a method includes receiving a signal associatedwith one or more sensors. The method also includes examining one or moreparameters of a signal conditioning circuit to determine whetherclipping of the signal has occurred. The method further includes, upon adetermination that clipping of the signal has occurred, decreasing again of the signal conditioning circuit. In addition, the methodincludes, upon a determination that clipping of the signal has notoccurred, determining whether a cut-off frequency of the signalconditioning circuit is within a range of a frequency response of anobject measured by the one or more sensors.

In a second embodiment, a system includes one or more sensors, a signalconditioning circuit coupled to the one or more sensors, and at leastone processing device. The at least one processing device is configuredto receive a signal associated with the one or more sensors. The atleast one processing device is also configured to examine one or moreparameters of the signal conditioning circuit to determine whetherclipping of the signal has occurred. The at least one processing deviceis further configured to, upon a determination that clipping of thesignal has occurred, decrease a gain of the signal conditioning circuit.The at least one processing device is still further configured to, upona determination that clipping of the signal has not occurred, determinewhether a cut-off frequency of the signal conditioning circuit is withina range of a frequency response of an object measured by the one or moresensors.

In a third embodiment, a non-transitory computer readable medium isencoded with a computer program. The computer program includes computerreadable program code for receiving a signal associated with one or moresensors. The computer program also includes computer readable programcode for examining one or more parameters of a signal conditioningcircuit to determine whether clipping of the signal has occurred. Thecomputer program further includes computer readable program code for,upon a determination that clipping of the signal has occurred,decreasing a gain of the signal conditioning circuit. The computerprogram still further includes computer readable program code for, upona determination that clipping of the signal has not occurred,determining whether a cut-off is frequency of the signal conditioningcircuit is within a range of a frequency response of an object measuredby the one or more sensors.

Other technical features may be readily apparent to one skilled in theart from the following figures, descriptions, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is nowmade to the following description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example conveyor belt system in accordance withthis disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates an example idler monitoring plug having anarrangement of sensors in accordance with this disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates another example arrangement of sensors in an idlermonitoring plug in accordance with this disclosure;

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate an example adaptive signal conditioningsystem in accordance with this disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates an example signal conditioning circuit in accordancewith this disclosure; and

FIG. 6 illustrates an example tunable capacitor configured with amagnetic compound fluid (MCF) rubber electrode in accordance with thisdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 through 6, discussed below, and the various embodiments used todescribe the principles of the present invention in this patent documentare by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any wayto limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art willunderstand that the principles of the invention may be implemented inany type of suitably arranged device or system.

Piezoelectric sensors are used for measurement of flex, touch,vibration, shock, and other characteristics. Such sensors areparticularly useful in applications that demand high accuracy. Oneexample of a piezoelectric sensor is a piezo-based accelerometer for usein a sensor system that measures various parameters of moving bodies.Some sensor systems incorporate signal conditioning circuits in order tomake signals transmitted from the sensors available for analysis. Anexample of such a signal conditioning system is a charge amplifier usedwith a piezo-based accelerometer, where an analog coulomb output of thesensor is converted into volts using a circuit having both resistanceand capacitance. In some systems, additional analog pre-processing isperformed on the sensor signal, such as band pass filtering, gain, andthe like. Parameters associated with the pre-processing help tocondition the sensor output so as to make the signal usable foranalysis. The analysis results can be used for monitoring of thecondition of equipment and components in the sensor system, calculationof system energy efficiency, and so forth.

Some sensors may have certain disadvantages. For example, some sensorsare designed only for specific applications or for use in specificsystems. Accordingly, any deviations from the specifications of thesensor during operation may cause sensor-related issues. For example,the voltage level of a sensor is one such specification. In someenvironments, if the voltage is exceeded, there may be clipping of thesensor's output signal or damage to the sensor over time.

Another disadvantage of certain sensors is that the application in whichthe sensor is to be used may change, and thus the sensor specificationhas to be changed based on the application. In such a case, it may beexpensive to replace the sensor or the whole system. As one example, anincrease in load for a strain gauge may require replacement of theentire sensor. If the sensor is a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS)sensor embedded inside a system, all or a significant portion of thesystem may have to be replaced.

As another example, when a thin film piezoelectric sensor is applied asa thin film over a window, it can sense slight variations in pressure atthe window. Likewise, sensors may be used to detect variations inpressure or changes in acceleration to help to identify defective idlersin a conveyor system. However, when relatively significant externalpressures or vibrations are present, charge amplifiers used by thesensors can be knocked out of operation due to large sensor outputs.This may cause the amplifiers to temporarily saturate or clip and outputsignals that cannot be used for analysis.

To overcome these shortcomings, embodiments of this disclosure featurean adaptive signal conditioning circuit and system that facilitate useof the same sensor or sensor system in various applications andenvironments. For example, the disclosed adaptive signal conditioningcircuit and system are able to adaptively compensate for abnormalvariations in pressure, such as by changing one or more parameters, andthus can adapt to environmental disturbances. Some signal conditioningsystems allow changes to signal conditioning parameters by selectingamong different feedback capacitors, each with a different capacitance,to adjust gain sensitivity. However, fine tuning cannot be achieved withthis arrangement. Thus, a signal might become attenuated more thanexpected due to this selective switching with limited range. Incontrast, the adaptive signal conditioning circuit and system disclosedhere feature a MEMS-based digital tunable capacitor that is configuredto be fine-tuned in real time.

Through the disclosed adaptive signal conditioning circuit and system, asensor can become more is generic and flexible, rather than beingconstrained to one particular application or environment. This reducesunnecessary time and cost to plan for changes in systems and reducesprocurement and installation costs for new sensors and systems.

For ease of illustration, a conveyor belt system incorporating an idlermonitoring plug is discussed below to explain the adaptive signalconditioning circuit and system. However, it will be understood that theprinciples of the adaptive signal conditioning circuit and systemdisclosed here may be used in any other suitable device or system.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example conveyor belt system 100 in accordancewith this disclosure. In this example, a conveyor belt 102 is installedaround a head pulley 104 and a tail pulley 106. Between the head pulley104 and the tail pulley 106, the belt 102 is supported by idlerassemblies 108 a-108 h.

Idler wear or bearing failure may result in conveyor belt wear ormisalignment. Idler failure may result in a torn conveyor belt withsignificant loss of production. In conventional conveyor belt systems,inspection of idlers may be infrequent or expensive for various reasons,such as the harshness of the conveyor belt environment, the length ofthe belt system, and the difficulty of inspecting idlers while the beltis in operation.

In some embodiments, wireless sensors 110, 112, 114 are embedded in theconveyor belt 102. The sensors 110, 112, 114 may be encapsulated inrubber or other material(s) as plugs and glued or fastened in other waysto the conveyor belt 102. As the sensors 110, 112, 114 pass over each ofthe idler assemblies 108 a-108 h, the sensors 110, 112, 114 sense one ormore characteristics of the idler assembly and store the sensedinformation for later upload to a monitoring or control system. Thus,the sensors 110, 112, 114 may also be referred to as idler monitoringplugs. Uploading of stored information is performed when each sensor110, 112, 114 comes within wireless communication range of a wirelesscommunication node 116. The node 116 may also be referred to as anintermediate node or “i node.” The node 116 is in wireless communicationwith a gateway node 118, which communicates with a monitoring system 120over a communication link 122. Note, however, that one or more sensors110, 112, 114 could also communicate directly with the gateway 118.Also, when the node 116 is not in wireless communication range of thegateway 118, additional wireless nodes may serve to relay wirelesscommunications between the node 116 and the gateway 118.

While the conveyor belt 102 is shown with three wireless sensors in FIG.1, more or fewer sensors may be used to provide more frequent or lessfrequent upload of stored information relating to idler condition.Similarly, additional nodes 116 may be installed at other locationsalong the conveyor belt system 100 to permit the use of sensors withsmaller storage capacities or to provide failure-resistant redundantcommunications, as well as more frequent uploads of stored information.Also, while eight idler rollers are shown in FIG. 1, it will beunderstood that more or fewer idlers may be used.

The wireless sensors 110-114 can include self-contained power supplies,which may include batteries or other power supply devices. When a powersupply is a battery, the battery may be selected to provide a lifetimeof several years or other lengthy time period to reduce the frequency ofstopping the conveyor belt in order to replace is the battery. When thepower supply is a rechargeable device, a recharge terminal 124 may beprovided to recharge the power supply without requiring contact with thesensors. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the recharge terminal 124utilizes inductive power transfer to recharge the power supply in thesensors.

The recharge terminal 124 can also serve as a location reference for thesensors 110-114 as they pass around the pulleys and idlers of theconveyor belt system 100. If the conveyor belt 102 rotates clockwise inFIG. 1, the idler assembly 108 g can be identified as the first idlerencountered after passing the recharge terminal 124. This is followed insequence by the tail pulley 106, the idler assemblies 108 h, 108 f, 108d and 108 b, the head pulley 104, and the idler assemblies 108 a, 108 cand 108 e. By using the recharge terminal 124 as a location reference,the sensors 110-114 are able to identify stored information in a waythat may be correctly interpreted by the monitoring system 120.

It will be understood that other location references may be provided forthe sensors 110-114. For example, in other embodiments, the node 116 orother wireless device may provide a location reference. In still otherembodiments, a unique spacing between idler assemblies may be recognizedas a location reference.

Although FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a conveyor belt system 100,various changes may be made to FIG. 1. Various modifications to thesystem 100 are described above. Moreover, an adaptive signalconditioning system can be used in any suitable system, which may or maynot include a conveyor belt.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example idler monitoring plug 200 having anarrangement of sensors in accordance with this disclosure. The idlermonitoring plug 200 may represent one or more of the sensors 110-114 ofFIG. 1. The embodiment of the idler monitoring plug 200 shown in FIG. 2is for illustration only. Other embodiments of the idler monitoring plug200 may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 2, the idler monitoring plug 200 includes a pluralityof sensors 202, 204, 206. In some embodiments, the sensors 202, 204could include polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) sensors 202, 204 and amicro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer 206. The PVDFsensors 202, 204 may be, for example, sensors from EMFIT, LTD. or MIROWSYSTEMTECHNIK GmbH.

The idler monitoring plug 200 also includes a microprocessor 208, apower supply like a battery 210, a memory card like an SD card 212 fortemporary storage, and a radio 214 for wireless transmission, such as tothe wireless node 116 in FIG. 1. The idler monitoring plug 200 alsoincludes a USB connection 216 to physically connect the plug 200 to acomputer or other data processing device, such as to store datamanually, update firmware, and so forth.

The idler monitoring plug 200 is attached to or embedded in a conveyorbelt, such as the conveyor belt 102 of FIG. 1. As the belt moves, theidler monitoring plug 200 moves over an idler, such as the idlerassemblies 108 a-108 h of FIG. 1. The sensors 202-206 in the idlermonitoring plug 200 detect one or more properties of the idler, such asvibration or strain. A gap 218 between the leading edges of the two PVDFsensors 202-204 is provided so that the microprocessor 208 or anadaptive signal conditioning system can determine the velocity of thebelt using the difference in time of detection between the two sensors202-204.

The properties measured by the sensors 202-206 may indicate one or moredefects in an idler. The sensors 202-206 transmit measurements of theproperties to the microprocessor 208. The microprocessor 208 may thenwirelessly transmit the measurements or other data to a processor orcontroller in an adaptive signal conditioning system.

Although FIG. 2 illustrates one example of an idler monitoring plug 200having an arrangement of sensors, various changes may be made to FIG. 2.For example, the sensors 202-206 could include other or additional typesof sensors. Also, the dimensions shown in FIG. 2 may be greater or lessthan indicated in FIG. 2. Moreover, the makeup and arrangement of theidler monitoring plug 200 is for illustration only. Components could beadded, omitted, combined, or placed in any other configuration accordingto particular needs.

FIG. 3 illustrates another example arrangement of sensors in an idlermonitoring plug 200 in accordance with this disclosure. In this example,two sensors 202 are positioned parallel to an idler, and another sensor204 is positioned perpendicular to the idler. This represents oneexample alternative arrangement of sensors in the plug 200, and otheralternative arrangement of sensors can be used.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate an example adaptive signal conditioningsystem 400 in accordance with this disclosure. The signal conditioningsystem 400 may be used in association with a conveyor belt system, suchas the conveyor belt system 100 of FIG. 1. The signal conditioningsystem 400 could be used with any other system or interface.

The signal conditioning system 400 may be used is with a variety ofsensors, such as high-frequency sensors (like sensors capable ofmeasuring frequencies greater than 20 KHz). Examples of high-frequencysensors include accelerometers, microphones, and strain gauges. As aparticular example, the signal conditioning system 400 may be used withthe sensors 202-206 of FIG. 2.

The signal conditioning system 400 is configured to detect a change inthe operating load of a sensor and adapt a corresponding sensor circuitin real-time so that the sensor is able to continue accurately measuringa load (such as without any clipping). That is, upon detection of achange in load, the adaptive system 400 changes capacitance, resistance,gain, upper frequency cut-off, lower frequency cut-off, or any othercharacteristic(s) in such a way that the maximum load of the sensor canbe reduced or the maximum measurable value can be increased. Similarly,the signal conditioning system 400 is configured to operate with smalloperating loads. In some cases, the load can be very small, such as aload with a frequency that is less than 1 Hz. In such a case, theadaptive system 400 changes capacitance, resistance, gain, upperfrequency cut-off, lower frequency cut-off, or any othercharacteristic(s) in such a way that the load (and small changes to theload) can be more easily detected.

In this example, the signal conditioning system 400 includes a clippingavoidance module 410, a cut-off frequency change module 420, a dynamicrange improvement module 430, and an operating conditions module 440.These four modules cooperate to improve the signal quality of the signalfrom the sensor.

The clipping avoidance module 410 receives a signal from an adaptivesignal conditioning circuit 450, which is coupled to a sensor. To detectclipping, the clipping avoidance module 410 examines the received signaland determines whether local maximum values (peaks) of the signal fromthe sensor are the same. If the clipping avoidance module 410 determinesthat all of the local maximum values of the signal of the sensor are thesame, it is determined that clipping of the signal has occurred. If itis determined that clipping has occurred, the signal conditioning system400 decreases the overall gain of the adaptive signal conditioningcircuit 450. If it is determined that clipping has not occurred,operation of the signal conditioning system 400 moves to the cut-offfrequency change module 420.

The cut-off frequency change module 420 obtains one or more applicationspecific frequency responses, such as vibration, acoustics, or pressure,associated with a device or object to be measured. For example, an idlermay have a minimum frequency of 10 Hz and a maximum frequency of 4 KHz.The cut-off frequency change module 420 then determines if the cut-offfrequency of the adaptive signal conditioning circuit 450 is within therange of the obtained application specific frequency or frequencies. Forinstance, the cut-off frequency module 420 may determine if the uppercut-off frequency of the adaptive signal conditioning circuit 450 isless than the maximum frequency of the idler. If the cut-off frequencyor frequencies of the adaptive signal conditioning circuit 450 are notwithin the range of the application specific frequency, the signalconditioning system 400 changes the cut-off frequency or frequencies ofthe adaptive signal conditioning circuit 450. If the cut-off frequencyor frequencies are in range, the process moves to the dynamic rangeimprovement module 430.

The dynamic range improvement module 430 obtains information associatedwith a data acquisition card (DAQ), such as the voltage limit, bit rate,or limit on the number of samples, and compares the obtained informationwith the signal from the sensor. In various cases, the voltage limit ofthe DAQ is very large, but the signal from the sensor is very low. Thiscan be the case when the operating load of the sensor is very small.

The dynamic range improvement module 430 determines the operating loadof the sensor. The dynamic range improvement module 430 determineswhether the operating load of the sensor is low such that it causes thevoltage of the sensor's signal to be substantially less than the voltagelimit of the DAQ (such as if the voltage limit of the DAQ is more thantwice the maximum voltage of the sensor). If so, it is determined thatthe dynamic range of the sensor is low, and the signal conditioningsystem 400 increases the resistance or capacitance of the adaptivesignal conditioning circuit 450.

The dynamic range improvement module 430 can then observe the frequencydomain (such as by using a Fast Fourier Transform or any other suitabletechnique) to compare the frequency response. If the frequency responsechanges due to the increase in capacitance, the signal conditioningsystem 400 changes the gain of the adaptive signal conditioning circuit450. If the frequency response does not change (or changed onlyinsubstantially) due to the increase in capacitance, the signalconditioning system 400 further increases the capacitance of theadaptive signal conditioning circuit 450. If the dynamic rangeimprovement module 430 determines that the dynamic range of the sensoris not low, operation of the signal conditioning system 400 passes tothe operating conditions module 440.

The operating conditions module 440 tracks and saves current operatingparameters to be used as historical data at a future time. For example,the operating conditions module 440 can determine if one or moremeasured operating parameters associated with the sensor have changed.If it is determined that no measured parameters have changed, theoperating parameters can be measured and tested again, with operation ofthe signal conditioning system passing back to the clipping avoidancemodule 410. If it is determined that one or more measured parametershave changed, the changed parameters are compared to historical data ifsuch historical data is available. If the comparison between themeasured parameters and the historical data reveals that changes to thesensor parameters are required, the signal conditioning system 400changes the parameters according to the historical data.

If the historical data pertaining to the operating conditions andrelated parameters are not available, then the system determines thecurrent operating conditions and related parameters and saves thesevalues for future reference, thereby enriching the knowledge bank ofhistorical database.

Although FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate one example of an adaptive signalconditioning system 400, various changes may be made to FIGS. 4A and 4B.For example, components of the adaptive signal conditioning system 400could be added, omitted, combined, or placed in any other configurationaccording to particular needs.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example signal conditioning circuit 450 inaccordance with this disclosure. The signal conditioning circuit 450 iscapable of being tuned using the adaptive signal conditioning system 400of FIGS. 4A and 4B and may be used in association with one or moresensors, such as the sensors 202-206 of FIG. 2. The signal conditioningcircuit 450 could be used with any other system or sensor.

As shown in FIG. 5, the signal conditioning circuit 450 includes atunable MEMS-based capacitor 502, one or more sensors 504, amicrocontroller 506, a charge amplifier 508, and a plurality of otherresistive and capacitive elements 510, 512. The capacitance of the MEMScapacitor 502 can be changed in real-time while the signal conditioningcircuit 450 is operating. This change can be based on monitoring ormeasurements of various parameters or conditions, such as load, cutoffresponse, and clipping. If values are not in a desired range, themicrocontroller 506 controls the capacitor 502 to change itscapacitance. A change in the capacitance results in a correspondingchange in the output of the signal conditioning circuit 450 so that theoutput is ideally in a desired range. For example, changes to thetunable capacitor 502 can result in changes to the gain and cutofffrequency range.

Although FIG. 5 illustrates one example of a signal conditioning circuit450, various changes may be made to FIG. 5. For example, otherimplementations of the signal conditioning circuit 450 could be used.Also, the makeup and arrangement of the signal conditioning circuit 450is for illustration only. Components could be added, omitted, combined,or placed in any other configuration according to particular needs.

FIG. 6 illustrates a tunable capacitor 600 configured with a magneticcompound fluid (MCF) rubber electrode in accordance with thisdisclosure. This tunable capacitor 600 could be used as the tunableMEMS-based capacitor 502 in FIG. 5.

As shown in FIG. 6, the capacitor 600 could be configured with magneticcompound fluid (MCF) rubber as an electrode on either side of adielectric material (such as rubber or glass). The capacitance ischanged if a load over the electrode causes deformation in a gap “d.”For example when the gap “d” decreases, the capacitance increases.

Although FIG. 6 illustrates one example of a tunable capacitor 600configured with an MCF rubber electrode, various changes may be made toFIG. 6. For example, other types of capacitors could be used in thesignal conditioning circuit 450.

The embodiments disclosed in this document provide a solution for anadaptive signal conditioning system that measures and changes variousparameters or combinations of parameters. Example parameters includeresistance, capacitance, gain, lower cut-off frequency, higher cut-offfrequency, and any other parameter(s) that may depend on sensorcharacteristics. The adaptive signal conditioning system is capable ofchanging parameters in real time with any change in operating conditionsof the system that it measures. The disclosed embodiments are flexibleand capable of being applied to various applications.

In some embodiments, various functions described above are implementedor supported by a computer program that is formed from computer readableprogram code and that is embodied in a computer readable medium. Thephrase “computer readable program code” includes any type of computercode, including source code, object code, and executable code. Thephrase “computer readable medium” includes any type of medium capable ofbeing accessed by a computer, such as read only memory (ROM), randomaccess memory (RAM), a hard disk drive, a compact disc (CD), a digitalvideo disc (DVD), or any other type of memory. A “non-transitory”computer readable medium excludes wired, wireless, optical, or othercommunication links that transport transitory electrical or othersignals. A non-transitory computer readable medium includes media wheredata can be permanently stored and media where data can be stored andlater overwritten, such as a rewritable optical disc or an erasablememory device.

It may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words andphrases used throughout this patent document. The terms “application”and “program” refer to one or more computer programs, softwarecomponents, sets of instructions, procedures, functions, objects,classes, instances, related data, or a portion thereof adapted forimplementation in a suitable computer code (including source code,object code, or executable code). The terms “transmit,” “receive,” and“communicate,” as well as derivatives thereof, encompass both direct andindirect communication. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well asderivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” isinclusive, meaning and/or. The phrase “associated with,” as well asderivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within,interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with,couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave,juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a propertyof, have a relationship to or with, or the like. The term “controller”means any device, system, or part thereof that controls at least oneoperation. A controller may be implemented in hardware or a combinationof hardware and software/firmware. The functionality associated with anyparticular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether locallyor remotely. The phrase “at least one of,” when used with a list ofitems, means that different combinations of one or more of the listeditems is may be used, and only one item in the list may be needed. Forexample, “at least one of: A, B, and C” includes any of the followingcombinations: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A and B and C.

While this disclosure has described certain embodiments and generallyassociated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodimentsand methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly,the above description of example embodiments does not define orconstrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterationsare also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of thisdisclosure, as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving, by at least oneprocessing device, a signal associated with a measurement of a propertyof an object by one or more sensors disposed in a belt of a conveyorbelt system; examining, by the at least one processing device, one ormore parameters of a signal conditioning circuit to determine whetherclipping of the signal has occurred, the signal conditioning circuitcomprising a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) based capacitor, acharge amplifier and a second capacitor electrically coupled to the MEMSbased capacitor, and at least one resistor in parallel with the MEMSbased capacitor; upon a determination that clipping of the signal hasoccurred, changing, by the at least one processing device, a capacitanceof the MEMS based capacitor to decrease a gain of the signalconditioning circuit; upon a determination that clipping of the signalhas not occurred, determining, by the at least one processing device,whether a cut-off frequency of the signal conditioning circuit is withina range of a frequency response of the object measured by the one ormore sensors; upon a determination that the cut-off frequency of thesignal conditioning circuit is not within the range of the frequencyresponse, changing, by the at least one processing device, thecapacitance of the MEMS based capacitor to change the cut-off frequencyof the signal conditioning circuit; upon a determination that thecut-off frequency of the signal conditioning circuit is within the rangeof the frequency response, determining, by the at least one processingdevice, whether a voltage of the signal indicates that a dynamic rangeof the one or more sensors is low; and upon a determination that thevoltage of the signal indicates that the dynamic range of the one ormore sensors is low, increasing, by the at least one processing device,a resistance or a capacitance of the signal conditioning circuit.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein determining whether the voltage of the signalindicates that the dynamic range of the one or more sensors is lowcomprises determining whether the voltage of the signal is substantiallyless than a voltage limit of a data acquisition card (DAQ).
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters comprise at leastone of: a resistance, a capacitance, a gain, a lower cut-off frequency,and an upper cut-off frequency.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein theMEMS based capacitor comprises a magnetic compound fluid (MCF)electrode.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors aredisposed in a plug inserted in the belt of the conveyor belt system, andthe property of the object measured by the one or more sensors comprisesa property of an idler in the conveyor belt system.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) sensor and an accelerometer.
 7. The method of claim 1,further comprising: upon a determination that the voltage of the signalindicates that the dynamic range of the one or more sensors is not low,determining whether an operating parameter associated with the one ormore sensors has changed; and upon a determination that the operatingparameter associated with the one or more sensors has changed, changingthe operating parameter according to historical data associated with theoperating parameter.
 8. A system comprising: one or more sensorsconfigured to be disposed in a belt of a conveyor belt system; a signalconditioning circuit coupled to the one or more sensors, the signalconditioning circuit comprising a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS)based capacitor, a charge amplifier and a second capacitor electricallycoupled to the MEMS based capacitor, and at least one resistor inparallel with the MEMS based capacitor; and at least one processingdevice configured to: receive a signal associated with a measurement ofa property of an object by the one or more sensors; examine one or moreparameters of the signal conditioning circuit to determine whetherclipping of the signal has occurred; upon a determination that clippingof the signal has occurred, change a capacitance of the MEMS basedcapacitor to decrease a gain of the signal conditioning circuit; upon adetermination that clipping of the signal has not occurred, determinewhether a cut-off frequency of the signal conditioning circuit is withina range of a frequency response of the object measured by the one ormore sensors; upon a determination that the cut-off frequency of thesignal conditioning circuit is not within the range of the frequencyresponse, change the capacitance of the MEMS based capacitor to changethe cut-off frequency of the signal conditioning circuit; upon adetermination that the cut-off frequency of the signal conditioningcircuit is within the range of the frequency response, determine whethera voltage of the signal indicates that a dynamic range of the one ormore sensors is low; and upon a determination that the voltage of thesignal indicates that the dynamic range of the one or more sensors islow, increase a resistance or a capacitance of the signal conditioningcircuit.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein, to determine whether thevoltage of the signal indicates that the dynamic range of the one ormore sensors is low, the at least one processing device is configured todetermine whether the voltage of the signal is substantially less than avoltage limit of a data acquisition card (DAQ).
 10. The system of claim8, wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least one of: aresistance, a capacitance, a gain, a lower cut-off frequency, and anupper cut-off frequency.
 11. The system of claim 8, wherein the MEMSbased capacitor comprises a magnetic compound fluid (MCF) electrode. 12.The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more sensors are disposed in aplug configured to be inserted in the belt of the conveyor belt system,and the property of the object measured by the one or more sensorscomprises a property of an idler in the conveyor belt system.
 13. Thesystem of claim 8, wherein the one or more sensors comprise apolyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) sensor and an accelerometer.
 14. Thesystem of claim 8, wherein the at least one processing device is furtherconfigured to: upon a determination that the voltage of the signalindicates that the dynamic range of the one or more sensors is not low,determine whether an operating parameter associated with the one or moresensors has changed; and upon a determination that the operatingparameter associated with the one or more sensors has changed, changethe operating parameter according to historical data associated with theoperating parameter.
 15. A non-transitory computer readable mediumcontaining a computer program, the computer program comprising computerreadable program code that when executed causes at least one processingdevice to: receive a signal associated with a measurement of a propertyof an object by one or more sensors disposed in a belt of a conveyorbelt system; examine one or more parameters of a signal conditioningcircuit to determine whether clipping of the signal has occurred, thesignal conditioning circuit comprising a micro-electro-mechanical system(MEMS) based capacitor, a charge amplifier and a second capacitorelectrically coupled to the MEMS based capacitor, and at least oneresistor in parallel with the MEMS based capacitor; upon a determinationthat clipping of the signal has occurred, change a capacitance of theMEMS based capacitor to decrease a gain of the signal conditioningcircuit; upon a determination that clipping of the signal has notoccurred, determine whether a cut-off frequency of the signalconditioning circuit is within a range of a frequency response of theobject measured by the one or more sensors; upon a determination thatthe cut-off frequency of the signal conditioning circuit is not withinthe range of the frequency response, change the capacitance of the MEMSbased capacitor to change the cut-off frequency of the signalconditioning circuit; upon a determination that the cut-off frequency ofthe signal conditioning circuit is within the range of the frequencyresponse, determine whether a voltage of the signal indicates that adynamic range of the one or more sensors is low; and upon adetermination that the voltage of the signal indicates that the dynamicrange of the one or more sensors is low, increase a resistance or acapacitance of the signal conditioning circuit.
 16. The non-transitorycomputer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer readableprogram code that when executed causes the at least one processingdevice to determine whether the voltage of the signal indicates that thedynamic range of the one or more sensors is low comprises: computerreadable program code that when executed causes the at least oneprocessing device to determine whether the voltage of the signal issubstantially less than a voltage limit of a data acquisition card(DAQ).
 17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15,wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least one of: aresistance, a capacitance, a gain, a lower cut-off frequency, and anupper cut-off frequency.
 18. The non-transitory computer readable mediumof claim 15, wherein the MEMS based capacitor comprises a magneticcompound fluid (MCF) electrode.
 19. The non-transitory computer readablemedium of claim 15, wherein the one or more sensors are disposed in aplug inserted in the belt of the conveyor belt system, and the propertyof the object measured by the one or more sensors comprises a propertyof an idler in the conveyor belt system.
 20. The non-transitory computerreadable medium of claim 15, further containing computer readableprogram code that when executed causes the at least one processingdevice to: upon a determination that the voltage of the signal indicatesthat the dynamic range of the one or more sensors is not low, determinewhether an operating parameter associated with the one or more sensorshas changed; and upon a determination that the operating parameterassociated with the one or more sensors has changed, change theoperating parameter according to historical data associated with theoperating parameter.